Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Kublacon 2018 - Space Hulk (Cleanse & Burn: Genestealers)

Hi All,

Two days, two reports!? I must have a lot of time on my hands. I forgot to mention, all of my photos were taken on my cellphone this year.  The Space Hulk and Woodenstadt photos were edited on my phone using snap seed. The Mordheim, Necromunda and Axles & Alloys photos were all done on my computer using Light Room. Scrolling through photos on the phone to edit them was a pain. Perhaps organizing them into Albums first would be the way to go, but honestly file organization is much easier on the computer.

On to the report.





I'm experimenting with a more saturated style.  Let me know what you think. Thanks for looking.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Kublacon 2018 Overview

Hi All,

Just thought I'd try to do a quick comic report on Kublacon to give you a taste of what caught my eye and the games we played.

Comic Life 3 was used but it didn't make it easy. An update to the software, crappy internet and a hard to use bluetooth travel keyboard have seen it take most of the day.

I know, Grove. I should revert to Comic Life 1. Anyway.







Aidan and had a great time at the con, my wife and daughter had a great tie sight seeing in the Bay Area. Win, win.

Thanks for looking.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

1000 point-ish Bretonnian Army

Hi All,

So I finally finished those Bretonnians I was working on for the Old World Army Challenge. If the article isn't at the top of the page anymore, you can read it here. I suggest you go over there if you want a full break down of the points cost. When I gave actual points to the various bonus figures I painted it came out to more like 1200 points. I think I will make a list of about 1500 points as I think that is more playable.

People were creeped out, I was trying to emulate Dave Andrews.
I feel like I nailed it.

Had some lighting issues, I probably should have pumped up the ISO more. Had to have the aperture wide open, so it's a little blurry in spots.

Left to Right: 20 Brigands, 10 Retainers w/ Crossbow, 4 Noblesse D'Epee + 1 Marquis (10th Level), 1 Amorcier (5th Level) "Holbon Toddlebrew", 9 Retainers + 1 Baron (5th Level), 9 Foot Knights + 1 Baron (5th Level), Baggage wagon + 5 camp followers, War Altar and two Guards, 4 Chevalier D'Honneur + 1 Viscomte (15th Level), 15 Levy w/ Bows, L' Ordonnance + 3 crew, 1 Amorcier (5th Level) "Mazda"


Closer up shot of the Baggage. Stupid me, I forgot to move the chair. The cart was made from balsa and bamboo skewers with the addition of GW plastic horses and cart wheels. I put it on a Litko 3mm thick 50mm x 150mm base. The baggage are some plaster Hirst Arts castings I bought of someone on the internet. I glued them to a 40mm x 40mm Rendera base. So it is removable. The followers are 3 Reaper Villagers and two GW Laborers.


The War Altar is made from Balsa, Bamboo Skewers and card. The relics are resin, from Max Mini here. The figures are from Reaper.

So there you have it. I'm frantically trying to get ready for Kublacon, I totally missed the mark on getting new gangs ready for Necromunda this year, so I'm trying to pull something together last minute.

Thanks for looking.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

WFRP 2nd Ed - Terror in Talabheim (more catching up)

Hi All,

Things are winding down as I get ready for Summer Vacation and Kublacon. It occurred to me that I hadn't updated how our WFRP campaign has been going in quite some time, so I'll try to do that in dribs and drabs over the coming months.

If you ever want to hear the games as they happened, the GM has them as a screen capture video on Youtube here. If you don't remember where the story was before this, I blogged about it here.

Here are a few drawings by Jason B. depicting some of the events of the previous sessions.

Leopold and Vincent enjoying themselves at Talabheim's Central Registry.

Lukas kills a Rat Ogre with one blow!

Vincent carries Leopold up the Sigmarite Temple tower stairs.


On to the next adventure:

Oct. 29th 2017

(I think Jason B. took the notes here.)

Vincent shook Leopold and Sally awake. The sun was starting to rise and it seemed that the Skaven activity was much less. We inspected a corps of a dwarf and found a Dwarven hammer and a small pouch of silver which Leopold ended up claiming. The temple of Sigmar seemed quite enough so they decided to move indoors. Leopold had a strong opinion to find the dorms of the warrior priest to re-equip and treat the wounds they had. Sally led the way making sure to remain as quiet as possible. They made their way down to the dorms without drawing too much attention. The dorm was a good find. Armor and weapons were plentifully and the group did what they could to address their wounds. Lukas and Genaro were still lost but Vincent, Leopold and Sally were hoping they were still on the upper floor of the temple.

The party finished with their preparations, very well equipped but still hurting from heavy wounds. The Temple was still abandoned and the party progressed towards where they hoped to find the Lukas and Genaro. A loud crack of a gun shot rang out as Vincent passed an opening in the wall. They kept their heads down and proceeded to the top floor. 

The scene was horrid. Bodies of Skaven and Talabhimers lay everywhere. Even more worrisome was the streaks of blood showing that some bodies have been removed, dragged away for some unknown purpose. A subtle grown came from a blood stained heap on the ground. It was Lukas barely conscious but alive. Genaro on the other hand was not there. Perhaps he made it out on his own. A hopeful thought, but the more likely explanation is much worse.

It was clear that at least Gods Row was taken from the enemy. Vincent suggested we get a better view of the situation from the top of the temple bell tower. The city seemed quiet, until from out of the Law district a strange beam projected into the sky and illuminated the clouds! The strange colors projected on the clouds start to move and created shapes. An image begins to appear. The image in the clouds revealed a large horned rat which begins to speak.

The rat’s screeched, the speech was simple and to the point, “Listen and you shall live, resist and shall die.”

With a crash, the obsidian obelisk shattered and fell to the ground. The Skaven were in possession of the countess and the city was theirs. It was time to escape Talabheim. Another shot rang out as a Skavens bullet nearly struck Vincent’s head. At this point, the party decided to make haste to the North East towards the Taalgarten and then over the walls.

The path was clear, the sounds of patrolling Skaven faded as the party made it over the wall and into the plains of crater. It was very cold, and the going was hard as a fog turned the group around. It was starting to look desperate until the hoofs of a Pistoliers mount clattered up one of the roads. Fortunately, the hail of the rider was friendly and the message was ever welcome: “Rally at Dankerood!” With directions from the rider, the party continued on their way and reached the town. The town was surrounded by a sea of tents, more refugees from Talabhiem. Once a Nobles retreat town, Dunkerood was now a refuge of all those displaced from Talabheim; unfortunately most inhabitants have been wounded.

The party was met by a Corporal and they informed him that they had information in regards to Talabheim. The Corporal took them straight to the General in charge of military operations in absence of the countess. Vincent gave a full report to the General and the nobles that were also present. After Vincent’s report, the General ushered out the Nobles in order to talk in private to the group. The General enlisted the group into the Talabhiem army granting Vincent a commission as a Lieutenant, Leopold as a Sergeant and Sally and Lukas as Privates. The mission assigned was to create a resistance within the walls of Talabhiem, and send back regular reports of what was going on back to the General. With that, the General released them to the Corporal with then supplied them with necessities for the mission then left them to plan.

Gear Split between Group:

Storm Lantern
Oil for 3 Nightsish
Studded Armor Full Suit (Lukas)
Military Grade Writing Kit
Bow, Quiver with 10 Arrows (Lukas)

Gear Supplied to Each Individual:

Soldiers back pack
Sleeping bag (good)
Blanket
Rations for 7 days
Water Canteen
Long Cloak with Hood
Anti Toxins
Water Tablets
2 Torches
Healing Potise
Healing Drought

XP: Base Char Birth Relig Star Doom Halflg Ideas TotalVincent 50 10 0 10 10 5 - 5 90
Sally 50 10 0 10 10 5 5 - 90
Leupold 50 10 0 10 10 0 - 5 85 

Nov. 19th 2017

(Jason B.)

It was a cold morning. The Cpl. woke the group up before sun rise. The General was on his way so everyone got their gear together to leave for Talabhiem. The general approached and gave his final orders and sent everyone on their way. They were lead by cautious group of riders that seemed to have seen some battle. The cart was loaded and Leopold to the reins with everyone else in the back. While on their way back to the invaded city of Talabhiem, Vincent went over the plan. Everyone seemed to be in agreement and concluded that operations should begin in the Guildrow. The trip took most of the day. The sun was getting close to the creator horizon, it will be dark soon. The escorts when on their way and group with cart found a small area of houses near the gates of the city. The cart was hidden in an abandon barn with a portion of the supplies. It was getting dark now so the group quickly moved into the city to find some shelter for the night.
The Guildrow was spread out with several trees and tall hedges lining the streets. It gave the impression of a village more than a conventional city quarter. Shelter would need to be found quickly. The Skaven and their lives underground make them very keen to night fighting. Lukas was able to locate an abandoned forge with attached home. The group moved in quietly and reinforced the windows to prevent any light from escaping. Everyone got some decent sleep that night.
In the following week the group was able to recruit a number of resistance fighters and informants. 

Recruits:
Geerul Gladish’ – Former spice merchant, now slave. Wants vengeance, Scouting the Guild row with Silca Arrent.

Silca Arrent’ - Knight of the Verdient fields. She feels guilty for the fall of the city. Scouting Guild Row mapping patrols.

Honnor Skipenbur’ – Scholar and Engineer, working on a contraption, slave foreman. Checking the construction sites and looking for Genaro.

Bjorn- is a criminal with a long list of crimes, multiple homicide, likes sharp knives, sneaky, looks exactly like Van Disel, retrieving weapons in Guild Row.

Karstashai- female, they baked her father, was a slave and a skilled cook, informant, Scouting the Merchant District. Has Vincent’s elven Amulet 

Pabol Roubandend- Halfling, stealthy, Scouting the Manor District for intel on the countess troop numbers.


Otto Von Friedherst:
An old man dressed in rags mumbling to himself, most will keep their distance as Otto seems to have been touched by a bit of insanity. Though this isn’t quite the case. Otto was, well, still is an educated man. He was a relatively respected surgeon who practiced in the manor district in Talabheim. After an unfortunate death of a patient, which happened to be the daughter of vocal politician, doom Ottos career and respect. It was not long until the poor old man was cast out and for his own sake he took to hiding among the less prestigious neighborhoods of Talabhiem to avoid ridicule and harassment. 

Otto dresses like a bagger to hide his identity though at this point in time that is less important. Rather out of place is when Otto needs to take a close look at something a rather ornate pair of eye glasses is drawn from beneath the rags, he only sign of his once prestigious career.

Otto in his age has come down with the shakes. This can be a problem if asked to perform medical aid to others though a couple swigs of a frosty beverage or hard alcohol steadies the hands. Though this can be dangerous to balance.



Yavandir:

An elven blacksmith from the Laurelorn forest, Yavandir lives in the Eye of the Forest for almost 50 years now. Unlike many of his fellows, he's not arrogant. All the same, that trait had been replaced by your typical, blacksmith's bluntness and dryness of character.

Yavandir is an excellent blacksmith and weapons maker. Before the invasion many nobles commisioned blades from his forge, for they had no equals in Talabheim. Yavandir especially liked to work on a mysterious metal, gathered from meteorites that struck the great crater from time to time.

His forge had been lost to skaven forces, assaulting the Schwartzhold-Nordgate district. Yavandir fell into a state of melancholy after that, from which it can be hard to snap him out of.
-------

Franka "Newt" Wilmer
Race: Human
Age: 14
Sex: Female
Eyes: Green
Hair: Red
Height: 4'11"
Weight: 90 lbs
Birthplace: The Tallows, Talabheim, Talabecland
Profession: Ratcatcher's Apprentice, Street Urchin
Skills: Survival, Fleeing, Knowledge of sewers and The Tallows
Disadvantages: Too young to fight, antisocial
Franka was born to Nihil Wilmer, a poor, alcoholic ratcatcher in The Tallows. Her mother died during childbirth. She grew up fending for herself, as her father would often leave for weeks on end on drunken benders. While he was often too drunk to properly train her in the delicate art of rat-catching, she was given an excellent education on the city's sewer systems and back alley labrynths of The Tallows. At the tender age of ten, her father never returned from one of his trips and she retreated from society into the city's sewers, carving out a meager existence for herself scavenging for food and any discarded usable items.
She has been well aware of the city's skaven problem years before the siege, and excels in hiding, playing dead, and escaping through narrow spaces even the ratmen overlords seem unaware of. Since the siege, she has become something of a legend for her ability to survive and evade skaven patrols. 
She is presumed mute, but has simply become traumatized and anti-social due to her living conditions over the last few years. She is untrusting of anyone else and perhaps this is the biggest reason for her ability to survive in this environment.
Fondly referred to as "Newt" by the resistance movement in Talabehim for her ability to slip away from danger, she has yet to speak to anyone or cooperate with them on their plans - They must undo years of neglect society has given her and win her trust, but they have to catch her for long enough to have a civilized conversation first.
--------

Heintz Aufwieg
Heintz is 29, 5'11 and 200lbs of muscle. He has brown hair and blue eyes. Originally from a small village in Middenland, he left his home province to turn over a new leaf and get away from the gang he was in. Upon reaching Talabheim he devoted himself to Myrmidia and became a night watchman. He is suspicious of people wearing veils and fears the forest because it was foretold that he would find his doom under an oak tree.

Name-

Name- 

Stone House and Maridian Temple are still held by Talabhiemers. There were reports of some cannon fire and some smoke outside of the crater. Some say it’s the Empire armies others say the armies aren’t there. Much discussion about using explosions on the gate was had. Leopold offered to climb the wall to scout 
and find a path to the gate. 

Talhagrun Forest they are gathering wood. We should follow up on that. Perhaps 
General Haulfner men can raid that area at the moment.

Game Char Home Relig Star Doom Race Forward(cart) Total
Vincent 50 10 5 10 10 0 0 5 90
Sally 50 10 0 0 10 0 5 5 80
Lukas 50 10 5 0 10 0 0 5 80
Leopold 50 10 5 5 0 0 0 5 75


Konrad Fleischer
Konrad was the butcher in his neighborhood, prior to the Skaven’s takeover of the city. Now, he’s still a butcher, but not of anything a human would want to eat…unless they have to. The Skaven have let him live because he butchers what they bring to him. That, and such cowardly mutants are wary of attempting to subdue a man with so many large knives. Sure, they’d overwhelm him with numbers, but why risk being the one he takes to with him? For the citizens, he still butchers whatever vermin they bring and he does so for free. During these times, you would be amazed out how far a squirrel can be stretched.
Konrad has not family, which is just as well given the current events. He preferred the bachelor life and not many women are interested in a man that smelled like death, anyway. Konrad is about 5’7” and very wirey. He’s in his early 40s and shows his age. Konrad is a very anxious individual, especially when he’s nervous. However, he’s also an excellent estimator. Show him any group and he can estimate how many of it, it’s dimensions, and/or it’s weight with unbelievable accuracy. 

So there you have the next few episodes, I'll try to dole them out until we get caught up.

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Paint Table Saturday 236 - Those trees and Camp Followers

Hi All,

Still working on cleaning up the hobby lair and trying to finish up some things so I can take my final army pictures for the Old World Army Challenge. If you haven't already you should really check it out.


All the tree bases are finished. I just need to put foliage on the three bare trees and then spray them with hairspray or something. The clump foliage ones are shedding pretty bad.


I also finally started blocking in colors on the peasants and monk altar guards. The monks are wearing funky ceremonial robes in the red and blue of Monfel. Mongeaux, on the right is getting the fair skin tone. Blanche Neige will be getting the rosy skin tone when I unbury it.

That's all for now.

Thanks for looking.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Paint Table Saturday 235 - Trees and Baggage

Hi All,

A quick one before we rush out the door to go see Infinity Wars.


The trees just need flock and static grass on their bases and the metal ones need some foliage.


I started building my wagon out of balsa. I want to use Bamboo skewers for posts and axles, but can't find my bag of them. It's annoying.


Here's a general layout with the plaster cast baggage in the background. I'm probably going to clip the horses off their tabs and pin them to the base. I can't decide if I'm going to base the baggage, glue the pieces together or leave them as individual pieces. I like the idea of being able to put figures or other stuff in the back.

Oh and the teachers strike is over. We went back to school Friday and will not have to extend the school year.

Thanks for looking.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

100% painted Challenge - Organizing the Collection

Hi All,

Upon some reflection and the realization that I was starting to acquire multiples of the same model, I decided to try and sort out my collection and tally what I had and what I had painted.

I got the idea from Anthony at the Lead Collector in his post here.

After my last post Anthony told me that he got the idea from You Magnificent Bastards. The link to the label of 100% painted Challenge is here. I only watched the first two videos to get an idea of what he was on about. Mainly I wanted to see what his spread sheet looked like.


Here is his. Part of his plan was to shift his percentages by selling off some of his stuff and commissioning others to be painted. It appears he also just did a strait model count, no "this counts as two" accounting.


My rough start to a spread sheet. My intent is to not only catalog painted but also models and manufacturer. Not sure if I'll bother to update with codes and sculptor information, though that would be nice. I don't want to get so bogged down in minutia that I completely stall.

The idea right now is to make a sheet for each genre and then break out by Manufacturer. So far I'm starting with Sci Fi themed stuff as it is a much newer and smaller part of my total collection. I haven't sexed up the sheet with colors and formatting yet. That will come later. I'm using Open Office Calc because I refuse to pay Microsoft extra for a suite of programs. I'm still stuck in the mindset when all that shit was bundled with your computer and it pisses me off to have to buy it separately.

That is all.